San Antonio cable viewers may lose KABB/KMYS on Jan. 1.

[fredcantu]

KABB is in this fight without an important bargaining chip. Fox will provide a national Fox feed directly to the cable system if the local affiliate is pulled.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/article/Cable-TV-spat-comes-down-to-the-wire-925409.php

 

[mmnassour]

So.....Fox national cut a deal with TWC that allows network programming to go on when a local affiliate shuts off the signal due to retrans issues? I knew Murdoch was famous for stabbing cohorts in the back, but Jeeeeezzzz....... ???


Or, am I missing something here?

 

[fredcantu]

So.....Fox national cut a deal with TWC that allows network programming to go on when a local affiliate shuts off the signal due to retrans issues? I knew Murdoch was famous for stabbing cohorts in the back, but Jeeeeezzzz....... ???


Or, am I missing something here?

No. That's pretty much it. Maybe Fox doesn't think it will even need local affiliates down the road.

 

[captex]

how or what started this trend that local stations could charge for being on cable or satellite.

 

[azumanga]

Maybe Fox doesn't think it will even need local affiliates down the road.

Until a few years back, Fox did have a national "Foxnet" channel for areas without a local Fox affiliate; this ended in 2006 when Greenville, Mississippi got its own Fox affiliate on a subchannel of ABC affil WABG.

 

[mmnassour]

how or what started this trend that local stations could charge for being on cable or satellite.

IIRC, this started back in 1992 when Congress passed legislation that allowed local stations to either 1) charge for their signals or 2) force local cable companies to carry their signals. Obviously, #1 helps out the affiliates and #2 helps out smaller stations that otherwise might not get on cable. Wikipedia has a decent article on it if you search for "must-carry" .

 

[mmnassour]

So.....Fox national cut a deal with TWC that allows network programming to go on when a local affiliate shuts off the signal due to retrans issues? I knew Murdoch was famous for stabbing cohorts in the back, but Jeeeeezzzz....... ???


Or, am I missing something here?

No. That's pretty much it. Maybe Fox doesn't think it will even need local affiliates down the road.

Interesting.....so an affiliate owned by Fox will be pulled off the bird or cable company without and agreement, while an affiliate NOT owned by Fox will be undercut.

I wonder if those non O&O affiliates know that? I'm pretty sure KABB does! ;D

I do hate Rupert Murdoch so.

 

[1st of 5]

If KABB and TWC aren't able to reach an agreement, which is highly unlikely, what will FOX use to fill in all of those "non-primetime" network hours? Is all that daytime garbage that KABB airs before 7 PM purchased by CH 29 or is that stuff from the FOX Net? If KABB is unsucessful in extorting an expert extortion artist, maybe the substitute stuff that FOX Net will provide TWC might be better than the regular KABB programming?

 

[azumanga]

If KABB and TWC aren't able to reach an agreement, which is highly unlikely, what will FOX use to fill in all of those "non-primetime" network hours?

At the least, I envision TWC carrying a straight feed off the satellite, with test patterns and all during the off-hours. Another scenario would be to carry Fox programming during the usual time, with infomercials from one of TWC's infomercial channels filling non-network time.

 

[Sammi Brie]

Maybe Fox doesn't think it will even need local affiliates down the road.

Until a few years back, Fox did have a national "Foxnet" channel for areas without a local Fox affiliate; this ended in 2006 when Greenville, Mississippi got its own Fox affiliate on a subchannel of ABC affil WABG.

WABG's need of a Fox feed allowed Foxnet to live a few days longer than they thought. When it did go, only 13,000 or so people lost Fox service.

 

[fredcantu]

When Austin's TWC lost KXAN (NBC) in a carriage dispute, TWC plugged in Starz Kids & Family... which I kinda liked and was sorry to lose when the dispute was resolved.

 

[wild949austin]

When Austin's TWC lost KXAN (NBC) in a carriage dispute, TWC plugged in Starz Kids & Family... which I kinda liked and was sorry to lose when the dispute was resolved.

I remember Suddenlink in Georgetown also pulled KXAN earlier that year, but replaced it with KCEN (NBC) out of Temple/Waco.

Why doesn't TWC replace KABB with KTBC Fox 7, another Fox affiliate close to SA, just until the dispute is resolved.. Same with KMYS, replaced by KNVA.

 

[fredcantu]

Suddenlink was able to use KCEN because KCEN puts a signal over their area. And I believe they continued to carry KCEN even after KXAN returned.

 

[fredcantu]

Extension keeps Fox and MyTV on SA cable for 14 more days.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/article/Fox-CW-don-t-go-dark-on-S-A-cable-931200.php

 

[Kent]

Why doesn't TWC replace KABB with KTBC Fox 7, another Fox affiliate close to SA, just until the dispute is resolved.. Same with KMYS, replaced by KNVA.

FCC rules prohibit it. To put it simply, when two stations carry the exact same programming, cable operators are required to black that programming out on the station that's the farthest away unless that station is "significantly viewed" in the area. Neither KTBC nor KNVA are significantly viewed in Bexar County.

 

[wild949austin]

Why doesn't TWC replace KABB with KTBC Fox 7, another Fox affiliate close to SA, just until the dispute is resolved.. Same with KMYS, replaced by KNVA.

FCC rules prohibit it. To put it simply, when two stations carry the exact same programming, cable operators are required to black that programming out on the station that's the farthest away unless that station is "significantly viewed" in the area. Neither KTBC nor KNVA are significantly viewed in Bexar County.

Hmm.. Makes sense. I guess this would only work in Comal or Guadalupe counties where these channels provide an adequate signal from Austin.

But from what I understand, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, and Bexar counties are ALL Part of TWC-San Antonio. Its not separated cable bureaus like TWC-Central Texas is.

 

[fredcantu]

I live in South Austin and watch San Antonio stations KENS, WOAI, KABB, KWEX and KVDA with an outdoor antenna.
Anyone in North San Antonio watch Austin over the air?

 

[wild949austin]

My best friend lives 10 miles south of Seguin in Guadalupe County. Last year I installed a roof top antenna for him, and he gets from SA - Chs 4, 5, 9, 12, 17, 23, 41, 44, 60, and from Austin he gets Chs 7, 18, 20, 24, 31, 36, 42, 51, 54. All these channels provide good signals to southern Guadalupe County.

I live in south Austin myself, and I pull in KXXV, KWKT, KNCT and KCEN better than I do the SA stations.

 

[wild949austin]

I live in South Austin and watch San Antonio stations KENS, WOAI, KABB, KWEX and KVDA with an outdoor antenna.
Anyone in North San Antonio watch Austin over the air?

I was looking on TVFool, and It looks like if you live in the Live Oak, Forum area (Loop 1604 @ I 35), you can pull in most of the Austin stations, due to the terrain. However if your anywhere pass Judson Rd going into downtown SA, you will have to work to even get KTBC, Austins strongest station.

 

[fredcantu]

My best friend lives 10 miles south of Seguin in Guadalupe County. Last year I installed a roof top antenna for him, and he gets from SA - Chs 4, 5, 9, 12, 17, 23, 41, 44, 60, and from Austin he gets Chs 7, 18, 20, 24, 31, 36, 42, 51, 54. All these channels provide good signals to southern Guadalupe County.

20, 31 and 51 in Austin are LPTVs. And 20 is the only one that gives me a solid signal at my South Austin home. Are you sure he gets good signals from them all the time?